There was a major boost for golf in the days before Christmas when it was announced that the Women’s irish Open is back on the Ladies European Tour for 2022 and will take place here in September.

“We had been working behind the scenes with the Ladies European Tour and Sport Ireland since early last year hoping for this news to become reality,” said Golf Ireland CO Mark Kennelly.

“I would like to thank both organisations for the work done behind the scenes that have led us to this point and we look forward to further details in the coming months.”

“2021 was a historic year for Women’s golf in Ireland in the professional and amateur ranks. We hope the return of the Women’s Irish Open will continue to inspire the next generation.”

The Irish Open will come at the back end of a mid-summer European swing that will feature two major championships, starting with the Amundi Evian Championship in France in July. The first week in August, a fortnight later will bring the much-awaited AIG Women’s Open, which will be played at Muirfield in Scotland for the first time, with an elevated purse of US$6.8 million.

The Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open, played during the week in between the majors, will offer an elevated purse of US$2 million, up US$500,000 on 2021.

The ISPS Handa World Invitational presented by Modest! Golf Management, played after the AIG Women’s Open, will be one of the most innovative events in world golf. Two tournaments, featuring men and women, play on the same courses at the same time for two equal prize funds of US$1.5 million.

The Irish Open was last played in 2012 when winning Solheim Cup Captain Catriona Matthew was the Champion at Killeen Castle in County Meath.

This year’s event will be the 16th edition of the tournament which was first played in 1994 at St Margaret’s course in Dublin. It was staged for ten years in a row between Dublin, Donegal, Waterford and Kerry before returning for a five year stretch at Portmarnock Links and Killeen Castle between 2008 and 2012.

The largest winners purse to date has been €75,000.

Sport for Business Perspective

This is great for Irish Golf and great for the Women’s game. With the Men’s Irish Open at Mount Juliet and the JP McManus Pro-Am taking place this summer as well, it promises to be some year for the sport. It will also hopefully see the establishment of a permanent staging of the Irish Women’s Open.

 

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